Amy Day
by aprms
Summary: Pre-Cooler. AU. Jess' sister is back from Africa and moving in for the weekend. Can the loft handle twice as much Jess as usual? First proper fic. Rating could change later on.
1. Chapter 1

**Ahhh I can't believe I'm doing a multichapter story! This is my first real project so I'd love to know what you think. Huge thanks to Captain Crunk for being my beta on this, I really needed one.**

If it was possible, Jess was in a better mood than usual. By the time Winston and Nick had emerged from their rooms and Schmidt had returned from the gym, she had mopped, febrezed, made pie, baked cookies and finished the knitted sweater she was now sporting over her bright pink dress as she bustled around the loft wiping surfaces and humming 'Walking on Sunshine' to herself.

"Damn girl. What did you do wrong?" Winston asked suspiciously, he and Nick taking the fresh mugs of coffee she had just poured for them as they approached the kitchen island.

Beaming brightly, Jess turned to them clutching her peppermint tea, drumming her freshly painted fingernails on the side of the cup. She'd been fidgeting with excitement all morning waiting for her roommates to show their faces. One thing she knew about herself was that she was terrible at holding in her excitement over good news. Nick was looking at her expectantly over his coffee as Winston unfolded the morning newspaper, and she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"My sister called last night," she announced giddily. "She's in LA and needs a place to crash for the weekend so she's on her way over now. I'm so excited for you guys to meet her!"

"Woah, time out," Nick said, his trademark turtle face making an appearance. "Since when have you had a sister?"

Jess rolled her eyes as a freshly showered Schmidt entered, scoffing loudly. "Nicholas, as expected, you were not listening when Jess told us about Amy. She's been in Africa for the last two years doing charity work and that's why Jess hasn't been able to speak to her until now."

Jess watched as Nick looked incredulously at Winston, who sighed over at her from across the counter. "She has mentioned her before Nick."

"Oh, wait," Nick said suddenly, a look of recognition passing over his features. "Was that the day Schmidt was wearing those leather pants? Because all I could hear that day was the squelching sound of bad life choices-"

"They keep my tushy tight. I was keepin' it tight Nick." Schmidt interrupted hotly. Jess wrinkled her nose at the memory, her gaze passing between the two men in front of her. Eager to get back to the topic of her beloved sister, she cleared her throat loudly and stepped up to the counter.

"Right guys, I want to lay down some ground rules before Amy gets here. First of all, please for the love of God gentlemen, remain fully clothed at all times. Amy's been witness to a lot of harrowing images these last couple of years and watching you flex your base might just push her over the edge." She looked pointedly at Schmidt, a horrifically offended expression on his face.

"Second," she pushed on in her singsong voice, "No fighting. I want her to think I live with normal roommates who do normal boring guy things like watch the game and talk about the weather and...you know, bird watching and stuff." She sipped the last of her tea innocently as the three men exchanged confused glances at her clearly misunderstood interpretation of what they liked to talk about. Keen to move on and noticing the guys' attention wavering, she continued.

"Last of all, please be nice to her and make her feel welcome, I know I was a little intimidated when I first came here. And as you'll see, we're very similar." She grinned at them like a Cheshire cat before turning and rinsing her mug as the guys shrugged and collectively helped themselves to cereal.

Jess and Amy had been inseparable back in Portland, but both knew their big personalities and differing aspirations would mean moving away from each other eventually. Once Jess had received her teaching degree she had set out to LA, hopes high for her dream job in her dream city. Her sister was always more of a free spirit and had taken gap years before and after her journalism course at NYU, much to their father's disdain. They often commented on how Jess had more of Bob's practical, proactive personality, whereas Amy could happily float along with Joan's carefree attitude.

The day they separated was a teary one. Both girls wore their hearts on their sleeves that day, Jess feeling very much like the star of her own movie as she sobbed openly out of the cab window, waving as Amy jogged as far as she could down the street after her before the car rounded the corner. Since then they had slowly grown to accept their lives spent mostly apart from each other, occasionally calling to catch up and giggle together like old times when they used to eat gummy bears and discuss favourite boy bands, heads dangling upside down over the side of the bed.

Of course, in recent years Amy called to discuss much more adult topics of conversation, like whether or not she should elope with her latest summer fling, Sebastian, or whether it was appropriate to smuggle African wildlife into the country. "But Jess," Amy had whined down the static-ridden phone line as they had their first real conversation in two years, "if you could see his little orphan face you wouldn't want to leave him either. They treat him so badly over here, they keep him in a cage. A _cage_ Jess."

"I think you should reconsider sis. I think customs would notice a cheetah cub," Jess chuckled as she pushed the phone closer to her ear, grimacing as the voice on the other end crackled loudly.

If there was one thing they could rely on each other for, it was balancing out their respective amounts of crazy. It was always either Jess or Amy in a weird midlife crisis-type frenzy, never both at the same time. When Jess had sent Amy a frantic email babbling about freezing her eggs, she received a calm, collected and sensible reply. Five months later when her inbox flashed with an urgent message about Amy's genuine concern for the wellbeing of the African rainforest, she simply shook her head in amusement and emailed back in her best teacher voice, telling her to calm the hell down and carry on saving the planet one tree frog at a time.

Jess continued to wash up as she smiled at the fond memories of her sister. She had called again the night before, this time from a hotel near LAX, and asked if she could stay for a few days while she got her bearings. Ecstatic at the thought of her best friend returning with stories of her travels, Jess hadn't even hesitated. Now she felt a sense of anticipation at the thought of being reunited with Amy after such a long period of time. She had _so_ much to tell her, and particularly wanted to discuss the subject of her lying, cheating ex-boyfriend.

As she placed a soapy bowl on the drying rack there was a sharp knock and she let out a squeal of excitement, bouncing towards the door with her roommates shuffling along in tow.

"She said and I quote, 'we're very similar'. Do you know what this means? We're gonna have two Jesses for an entire weekend," Nick huffed, reluctantly dragging his sock clad feet.

Winston chuckled beside him. "I think your cynical old man brain might just implode with all the ribbons and crocheting."

Nick shot him a glare and Jess scowled at them before she threw open the door. "Sis!" She half screeched, pulling the girl in for a hug. Her sister's giggles were muffled in Jess' shoulder as she attempted to hug her back, laden with all her travel bags. "These are my roommates, Schmidt, Nick and Winston," Jess stated as she pulled away, gesturing behind her with a grin. Nick's eyebrows shot up.

"Hi," Amy said breathlessly, dropping her bags to the floor and extending her hand to them. "I'm-"

"-A twin." Nick finished, eyebrows still buried in his hairline. "Of course, you're Jess' twin sister."


	2. Chapter 2

**Once again, Captain Crunk deserves huge kudos for this chapter. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!**

"The blonde looks good on you Amy," Jess panted as they heaved luggage through her bedroom door. Jess dropped the travel bags by the wardrobe and turned, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand and admiring her sister's beachy waves. Amy looked up from her position on the floor and smiled brightly.

"Thanks! I thought I wouldn't be able to keep on top of it while we were in the rainforest but I found this amazing tribe woman who uses all natural ingredients to dye hair over there. Plant and animal extracts and stuff," Amy beamed at her before going back to unzipping her suitcase. "This loft is so beautiful Jess! You really hit the jackpot here," she sighed as Jess perched on the edge of her bed. "You got all of this from Craigslist… Who would have thought it?"

"I know," Jess replied enthusiastically as Amy rummaged through her clothes, "and the guys are great, you'll see."

"Do you think I'd be able to use your washer? I can't remember the last time I washed clothes in any place other than some African river." Amy sat back on her knees, face contorted in displeasure. "…I've just realised how disgusting I must be."

Jess looked down at her sister. Her soft waves were pushed to one side, reflecting the sunlight cascading through the bedroom window. Amy was sporting an oversized tee that slung low over her tanned and slightly freckled shoulder, and a tiny pair of faded denim shorts. There was a string of tiny beads and shells around her ankle. For someone who had just spent two months living with tribes and almost another two years travelling around the poor parts of Africa saving lives, she looked positively dazzling. Jess smirked at her as she pulled at her clothes, biting her lip self-consciously. Amy cast a pouty glance up at her and she let out a loud laugh.

"I'll see what I have for you. I need to change anyway, this sweater is suffocating me." Jess stood and crossed to her wardrobe.

The three men were on the roof in the sweltering heat when Jess and Amy finally emerged, cooking burgers on a disposable barbecue for themselves and their temporary guest. Winston leaned casually up against the wall as Schmidt fussed over the correct herb seasoning for the meat, Nick alternating between taking mouthfuls of cold beer and slapping Schmidt's hand away with the tongs.

"For the last time, will ya let me do it," Nick hissed as Schmidt recoiled for the third time, various herbs in his hands. "It's only a few burgers Schmidt. It's not freaking Masterchef."

"It might as well be the dog's dinner the way you're doing them Nick! Where is your class? Your dedication to the preservation of delicious summer cuisine?"

"Shut up Schmidt and give me the damn herbs." Nick said through gritted teeth as a slightly frazzled and emotional Schmidt handed them over. They looked up as the sisters approached, both now wearing bright summer dresses and heart shaped sunglasses. Amy was laughing brightly at something Jess was saying as she pushed hers back, twisting her dirty blonde locks into an elastic band atop her head. A few tendrils fell about her face as she replaced the shades over her eyes and Nick nervously cast his eyes downward, determined to focus on the task at hand. He was a sucker for blondes and those bangs were distracting.

"So Amy's all settled in," Jess sang as they dragged a lawn chair and a questionable looking bean bag over to the barbecue. "I thought tomorrow we could go down to the carnival by the beach and have some fun, shoot some hoops, win some prizes, you know how it is. Winnie knows what I'm talking about." She pointed finger guns at Winston, who smirked at her.

"You mean you want to go and eat candy floss and play Hook-A-Duck, Jess," he replied, amused. Jess recoiled, embarrassed, and shrugged. "I just still don't get how they spin it into little threads, I feel like I'm in Rumplestiltskin. And they have Despicable Me toys at the Hook-A-Duck. I want one."

"Dear God. Count me out." Nick cut in, majorly turtlefacing. Jess stamped her foot at him. "_Nick_. How often are we all together on the weekends? I'll drive, all you guys have to do is _come_. Also I'm gonna need you to do the big hammer thingy for me so I can get the giant bubble machine."

Winston's head shot up. "I'm in," he said, eyes glazed over at the thought of owning a bubble machine. Jess clapped her hands together in delight. Catching Nick's resigned expression and Schmidt processing his thoughts, a wry smile starting to appear, Jess turned to Amy, the look on her face assuring her that they had won. If Winston was going, Nick was going. And Schmidt sure as hell wouldn't stay in alone when there were fine ladies to be found in desperate need of a man to knock down some pins and win some prizes…and hearts.

Amy's face lit up at the good news. She hummed happily and pulled her beanbag closer to the barbecue. Jess followed suit, kicking off her shoes as she did so. "The food looks great guys. What is that, chutney?" she asked curiously, craning her neck to get a better view over Nick's head.

Schmidt broke into a smug grin. "That'll be Schmidt's own seasoning." He winked at the girls. Jess looked on blankly, missing the innuendo, as Amy snorted and pulled back from him, a little alarmed.

"Don't say stuff like that when you're wearing a vest from the kid's section at Gap, Schmidt. I can literally see your nipples right now." Winston muttered, pulling up a chair of his own and rubbing his palms together, ready for food. Amy laughed for real then, a sweet tinkling sound like a stream on a dewy morning, and Jess saw Nick fumble with the first burger. She quickly leaned forward with a cry of "no, Bessy! -" before he dropped it on to the floor and swore loudly.

Jess pursed her lips and laughed awkwardly. "Bet you wish you could do Urkel like me now huh. _Did I dooo-_" she abruptly shut up at the look Nick gave her.

A collective groan came from Schmidt and Winston but Amy leaned forward, placing a small hand on Nick's shoulder as he angrily attempted to scoop it up. "It's alright, I er… I actually don't eat meat, so…"

Jess looked at her in surprise. "You don't?" she said. This was news to her. Amy shook her head, starting to stand up. "No, I made the decision when I was away. I can go and make a sandwich or something."

Schmidt immediately stood. "I have a variety of freshly made vegan salads in the fridge and a range of organic snacks for during my booty buster class, all of which you are very welcome to." He flashed her a wide smile, which she returned. Winston rolled his eyes.

"I'd love that Schmidt. Thank you so much." He held out his arm for her to take, and they set off down the stairs, arms linked, discussing the importance of daily avocado intake.

Jess watched them go, before swivelling around to face Nick and Winston again. "What just happened?" she asked, dumbfounded. "Did Schmidt and my sister just become best friends?"

"Looks like it," Winston offered in reply, shaking his head as he helped Nick with the rest of the burgers. "Here's Nick worrying we're going to have twice as much Jess around. I don't think anyone accounted for the fact that we're going to have another Schmidt." He wrinkled his nose at the thought. "Thank God she doesn't eat sushi."

A few hours later the group had spread out over the roof, satiated. Nick was scribbling furiously on a notepad, occasionally cursing under his breath and flipping his pencil over to scrub out a mistake. Winston and Schmidt were in the far corner, huddled over something and giggling like two schoolgirls as they glanced over their shoulders at everyone else. Winston had a maniacal glint in his eyes and Jess only hoped he wasn't planning some ridiculous prank that involved someone ending up dangling over the side of the building.

Amy's voice brought her back to reality. "So, let me get this straight. You were giving him a striptease and some slut came out of his room?" She stopped herself, thoughtfully sipping her lemonade. "She might not be a slut. I shouldn't have said that, I don't know her."

Jess nodded from her position on the blanket, face tilted towards the sun. "She's actually really nice. I drove her to the airport a few weeks later."

"Oh, that was nice of you. What's her name?"

"Rochelle."

"Pretty name."

"Mmm, yeah it is."

There were a few moments of silence as the girls continued to sunbathe. Then Amy continued, "still though. I can't believe Spencer did that to you, what a jerkwad."

Jess hiked her dress up her legs as far as she dared, shuffling around and trying to get comfortable. "I dunno sis," she replied as she found a good position, "I'm happy it worked out this way. My life is really good now. I'm happy. Living the single life of a recently unemployed teacher, in an apartment with three single, severely dysfunctional men. God," she said, running a hand through her hair, "that's _really_ depressing."

Amy turned her head with a giggle, squinting behind her sunglasses. "Well I'm happy you're happy." She finished, trying not to laugh but failing miserably. Jess joined in, taking Amy's hand and squeezing it.

"So I know most of what went on in Africa from your emails, but what happened with Sebastian? Was he every bit the French Robert Pattinson you made him out to be?" Jess asked, feeling around for her own lemonade. Her fingers found the cold glass and she lifted the straw to her lips.

"Ugh, I got bored of him in the end. He wanted me too much, you know? It was all romance and no passion - I tried to fight with him a bunch of times and he just kept telling me I was right when I _knew_ I was wrong. He was all _oui mademoiselle, sil-vous-plez. I seemply can't be without your face, oui bien, beauty_…something like that anyway, I stopped listening." She shrugged. Jess held a hand up to block the sun as she sniggered at the terrible French accent. However, knowing there was currently no man in Amy's life left a big question for Jess.

"So do you think you'll move back here and start again?"

"Hmm, maybe. I want to put my degree to good use but I could never work a desk job. Maybe I'll go and report on international affairs. I don't want to stay still Jess, I want to see everything!"

The girls laughed together, basking in the late afternoon sunshine and enjoying each other's company. "I'm so happy you let me stay here," Amy eventually said. "I missed you so much."

"Me too Amy. Me too."

Suddenly their pleasant chat was interrupted. The girls let out identical screeches as they were soaked simultaneously by Winston and Schmidt, each holding a powerful looking water gun. Jess sat up abruptly, ripping her shades off as they high fived over her head.

"WINSTON!" She shrieked as they turned to look at them, looking very pleased with themselves. Without a second thought, Amy picked up her half full glass of lemonade and threw it in the direction of Winston and Schmidt's faces.

Schmidt ducked away as the ice cold liquid collided with Winston's skin, his loud yell permeating the peaceful summer quiet. Face dripping, he stared incredulously at Amy, who was curled up next to a shellshocked Jess, rocking with laughter.

"Are you insane?!" He shouted, wiping some of the excess fizz from his chin. Jess folded her hands on her damp knees, wincing at the thought of how sticky he was gonna be later.

"Leave her alone Winnie, you started it," Nick laughed from his position a few feet away. His eyes sparkled as he looked at Amy. "Good shot by the way."

"Thanks." Amy smiled back softly. Jess felt a sudden breeze and shivered slightly as she looked from Amy to Nick. They made no move to look away, so she sniffed lightly and looked at her lap instead.

"Urgh," Winston turned and stormed off the roof. Amy called an apology after him as Nick shouted "calm down Winston. When life gives you lemons…" and the two of them dissolved into childish giggles again as Jess let an amused grin pass over her face.

The sun was setting and Winston had not returned from the loft. Amy's eyes kept darting nervously to the entrance and she later asked Jess if she had crossed a line. She wanted her sister's roommates to like her, and had a feeling she'd just blown it with Winston.

Jess waved her off. "He'll be fine, he gets sympathy PMS sometimes."

Shortly after that, Schmidt had retreated, muttering about beauty sleep, and Amy followed him stifling yawn after yawn. Her flight had been long and she was adjusting to a different sleep schedule so she was shattered as she left the roof, intending to pass out fully clothed on top of Jess' comforter.

Jess stepped up to the edge of the roof, elbows resting on the wall. She was content, and closed her eyes against the cool breeze accompanying the hazy sunset.

She was roused out of her daze as she felt a warmth envelop her. Opening her eyes in surprise she turned to see Nick smiling down at her. He had draped his hoodie over her shoulders and she tugged it tighter around herself, giving him a grateful look as he settled against the wall.

"I forgot you were here," Jess said sleepily, chin resting on her folded arms. Nick took a swig of his final beer of the night.

"Me too for a few minutes," he chuckled. "I was in my own world today. I was inspired to write more of my novel. I think I must have done at least five chapters."

"That's great Nick! I'm so proud of you, partner." Jess lazily turned her face towards him with another cheeky finger gun, her eyelids heavy. He smirked at the ground, feeling her eyes on him, and looked like he was trying to say something for a few seconds, gears turning in his head. Finally, he opened his mouth.

"I think it was Amy. Don't laugh, but I think she kind of inspired me. I've based one of the characters on her. Not a main character or anything, but she's got something."

Jess' eyes didn't feel so heavy any more. They were wide as she stared at him. Excuse me, she thought. _Hold_ up. "My sister is in your story?" She squeaked out, fingers gripping the material of the hoodie a little harder than before. "Your Pepperwood story?"

Mouth full of beer, he nodded at her before swallowing. "Is it weird?" he asked, scrunching up his face a little.

Hmph, Jess thought. Clearly Nick thought there was enough room for two Days in his book. Not the direction she would have gone in, but what did she know? She was just a teacher of creative writing. Nick didn't need her opinion. He clearly didn't ask for it. Rude.

Nick was still looking at her. "No," she eventually huffed, "if she's got 'something' as you say Nick, why shouldn't you dedicate a novel to her?" She straightened up quickly and shrugged the hoodie off of herself.

"I didn't…" Nick trailed off, looking baffled as he took it from her outstretched hand.

"Oh, I'm so tired, I'm going to hit the hay I think. Goodnight Nick, see you tomorrow." She said, turning and walking away as Nick watched her leave, hoodie bunched up in his hand as he rolled his eyes in frustration at her retreating back.

Jess quietly opened her bedroom door and crept inside, shutting it softly behind her. Amy was fast asleep on top of her duvet, but had managed to throw on a baggy vest over her underwear before passing out completely. Jess picked her way around her room carefully, retrieving all of Amy's hastily strewn clothing and putting it in her washbasket. Her sister never was the tidiest of humans. She pulled the throw from the bottom of the bed over Amy, who curled up under it immediately.

She felt quite exhausted as she changed into PJs and crawled under her covers. She lay on her back, listening to the soft, even breathing next to her, deep in thought.

She was pretty sure Nick Miller was crushing on her sister. And she didn't like it. Not one bit.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3 :) Goes without saying that I'm totally thankful to Captain Crunk for helping me out.**

Jess was more than a little hot as the five of them piled out of her car. Tensions had been high on the journey over as they fought over a radio station, and Jess had nearly crashed the car after repeatedly and unnecessarily checking the rear view mirror. She had told herself it was because she was worried about her poor sister wedged between Winston and Nick, a position no one should have to be in, especially since recent events. But really she was just making sure there were no wandering hands in sight. Her car was a place of dignified driving (most days), not eye sex and hand fornication.

Schmidt had launched himself out of the car as soon as they came to a halt, falling to his hands and knees dramatically and shouting "dry land!" as Jess scowled at him.

"I only swerved like, twice Schmidt. Stop being such a girl."

"It felt like we were driving through a damn hurricane Jessica," Nick growled, clutching his stomach and grimacing. "I was hoping to save the white knuckle rides for when we actually got here."

Amy approached Jess, who was frustratedly fanning herself with one hand, sliding an arm round her waist and shaking her head at the pathetic men in front of them. "Forget them sis. Let's go win some prizes and make Momma proud!" She did a little fist pump in the direction of the front entrance and shot Jess a goofy grin. Laughing, they set off towards the big wheel, chatting animatedly about their plans for the day.

Winston grabbed Nick's sleeve as he went to follow the girls, making him turn back, eyebrows raised. The pair looked down for a moment at Schmidt, who was still dry heaving, before Winston turned to Nick, face serious.

"What are you doing? I saw you in the car with Amy. You were practically on her lap." He shot at him, narrowing his eyes. "This is a bad idea Nick. That's Jess' twin sister."

"I wasn't doing anything!" Nick shot back defensively. "It's a small car."

"And I suppose the size of the car made it necessary to lean over her at every possible opportunity? She really didn't need you to point out the homeless man at the side of the road. I'm sure she's seen plenty of those in Africa, it's not a tourist attraction."

Nick glared at him as Schmidt raised himself to his feet beside them. Putting his hands on his hips and expelling a deep whoosh of air, he observed the scene in front of him. "Nick," he sighed as he wiped his brow, "your tendency to attach yourself to women who are both out of your league and allergic to commitment is not endearing. I'm a little worried about you."

Nick frowned deeply. "Don't sugar coat it or anything Schmidt."

"I think what Schmidt is trying to say," Winston said, stepping between them, "is that Amy should really be off bounds. _All_ sisters should be off bounds." He shot Schmidt a look then, which was blissfully ignored. "We owe it to Jess. She would never go around hitting on any of our family members."

"I have no idea what either of you are talking about." Nick said as he started to back away towards the entrance, raising his hands, palms facing his friends in a sign of surrender. "No idea."

Winston and Schmidt watched him as he turned, waving one hand in the air behind him as he crossed into the park. They exchanged one of their special looks, one that was reserved specifically for Nick Miller, that said _this is not going to end well and we should really follow him because who knows what he plans to do and let's be honest, the possibilities are endless here what with darts and balls and hammers, and holy hell, he might actually kill someone_. Schmidt sighed theatrically, gesturing for them to start walking.

"Ohmygod," Jess mumbled through a mouthful of cotton candy, pointing a sticky pink finger ahead of them. "Teacup rides. They have teacup rides!"

Amy stopped mid-lick of her ice cream, letting out a squeal. "Yes!" she said, linking her sister and dragging them towards the brightly painted cups. The three men followed begrudgingly, looking around for something, anything, that might restore their manhood. Nick's eyes fell on a shooting range. He nudged Schmidt, who looked a little apprehensive at such a violent game, being a pacifist and all. Winston nodded enthusiastically however, pulling them away from the girls, who were too wrapped up in child-mode to notice their disappearance.

Schmidt paid and they each stepped up to their respective places, grasping the child-friendly guns with both hands and pointing them toward the middle of the circle. The alarm sounded and they proceeded to let loose on the duck and rabbit-shaped targets, the little rubber pellets knocking over a rather embarrassingly low number.

"Schmidt!" Winston bellowed over the noise. "Stop being such a baby and shoot something! Daddy's got his eyes on the giant teddy," He ducked low, taking the game way too seriously.

"I am, you heathen! Nick's looking over there, he's not doing anything!" came Schmidt's extremely offended reply. Outraged, the two of them turned their guns in Nick's direction, who was blissfully unaware. He was focused on the blue and white teacup that currently held Amy and Jess, as they turned the wheel together, making it spin faster and faster. Every time the cup swung round in his direction he would catch a glimpse of Jess, hair in her face as she threw her head back and laughed up at the sky, clearly having the time of her life. He couldn't help but let a huge smile break out over his features as he gazed openly at her, wondering when he'd last seen her looking that happy and free.

His thoughts were rudely interrupted as Schmidt and Winston opened fire on him, the pellets smacking into his chest and forearms, making him shriek like a teenage girl. He whipped around with a shocked yell of "hey!" and retaliated, shooting aggressively while using one hand to block his face as he caught Schmidt on the ear.

Schmidt howled, turning away, as the owner of the stall angrily wrestled the gun off Winston, who was still majorly peeved at his missed opportunity to win the teddy.

As the three men left the stall, Schmidt still nursing his ear, the girls stumbled over to them, giggling uncontrollably. "Gosh, I'm so dizzy!" Amy exclaimed as she tripped and fell into Nick. He caught her, looking like he couldn't quite believe his luck. Jess' eyes narrowed dangerously.

"I want to go and play the ball toss over there," Amy announced, still slightly leaning into Nick.

"That sounds like a great idea," Nick said, grinning uncontrollably. They started to head in the direction of the attraction, and Jess folded her arms, watching them go. "Yes, I too would also like to play that game." She said, stomping after them, Winston and Schmidt hot on her heels. Schmidt was still pouting over his injured ear so Winston watched as Jess paid for her basket of foam balls, all the while glaring at the couple near her. He put his face in his hands and groaned.

Amy thanked the spotty teenager as he handed her a basket, taking one of the balls and tossing it up in the air a few times, squinting at the various tubes it was supposed to land in. Different tubes equalled different prizes, and Jess observed as she took her aim at the tube nearest to the far right, entitled '_Giant tub of Jelly Beans_'.

Jess was not enjoying herself. The teacups had been a beautiful distraction from what was clearly going to be a long day of watching Nick embarrass himself trying to hit on Amy. As Amy took her first shot, her aim a little off from the aftermath of the spinning ride, Jess scowled at Nick. He was looking at her appreciatively in her short white cotton dress, and automatically groaned in defeat with her when she missed even though it was blindingly obvious he hadn't paid the slightest bit of attention to what she'd been doing.

"Nick!" Jess shouted over to him, still on her first ball. "I think I need some help over here." He looked over briefly before waving her off. "You look fine!" he replied, swivelling back around. Jess' jaw dropped, her usually huge eyes turning to slits. She exhaled slowly before taking a shot. It sailed over the tubes and hit the spotty teenager on the head, bouncing on to the floor. He didn't even flinch.

"Hey," Nick said after Amy had missed another few, "why don't I show you how to do it." He stepped up behind her, taking the hand that was holding her last ball and enclosing his fingers around it. Outraged, Jess turned her body to face them fully, fire in her eyes.

Winston appeared, arms out wide either side of him, as if he was making himself into a human shield. "Oh, hey there, Amy. Why don't you come do the hammer with me. Let's just-"

He didn't finish his sentence, merely wrenching Amy out of Nick's grasp and dragging her away. They were barely out of earshot before Jess started throwing her ammunition at Nick, soft foam hitting him repeatedly in the face.

"Ow!" he cried, trying to block the onslaught of foam balls. They kept bouncing back towards Jess, who picked them up and launched them at him again.

"Think you're real smart eh Miller?" she said, raising her voice as she threw another. "Think you're a bit of a Casanova over there?"

"What…Jess, stop hitting me!"

Another blow to the face. Her aim had considerably improved as of thirty seconds ago.

"Jess!" He looked up at her in pure shock. A foam ball hit him in the eye. As he doubled over, clutching his hands to his head, Jess jutted her chin out, panting heavily and looking like a wild animal as she continued to attack him.

"Getting all up in her grill with your stupid hands and your stupid face," she continued, not entirely sure what she was saying any more but certain of the satisfaction she was getting seeing the complete bewilderment and growing anger in his face.

"You are barking ma- Ouch! God, JESSICA!" He propelled himself forward, grasping her wrist as she went to take her final shot. The ball flew out of her hand and landed right in the middle of the tubes, in the one entitled '_Despicable Me Toy_'.

The teenager running the stall, who had been keeping a safe distance thus far, suddenly stepped forward, shoving the toy in Jess' direction and nervously saying "we have a winner!", desperate to get this lunatic away from his customers.

Their heated embrace interrupted, Nick and Jess tore apart, Jess grasping the toy in her hands and glaring daggers at Nick, who was running his hands through his hair angrily. "Everyone's got it out for me today," he hissed, just as they heard loud cheering and whooping behind them. Turning in unison, they both saw Winston and Amy jumping up and down and hugging as the owner of the High Striker handed over the huge bubble machine.

_Great_, Jess thought as she looked from them, to the toy in her hand that she had so desperately wanted, to Nick and then back again, her breath still a little heavy. _That is just great_.

* * *

The drive home had been even more tense than the way there. Nick sat in the passenger seat, a permanent frown etched on his face, staring determinedly ahead as Jess drove, stony-faced. Schmidt had gone to the store at some point during the day and was now sporting a ridiculous Spongebob plaster over his ear. He kept sighing to himself and looking around at the other passengers, hoping someone would pay him some attention, which was eliciting some major evils in the mirror from Jess.

Winston and Amy were in high spirits however, chatting excitedly to each other as Amy blew bubbles out of the car window. Jess bit her tongue, not wanting to spoil what had clearly been a great day for her sister.

As they entered the apartment Winston and Amy headed for the roof to carry on playing with their prize and Schmidt retreated to his room, green pick-me-up smoothie in hand. Jess and Nick headed silently to their rooms, Jess hoping to change into her PJs and catch an early night. Nick caught her arm before she reached her door.

"What was that before?" he asked, gripping her elbow gently to ensure she couldn't escape. Jess faced him, squaring her shoulders. Now was as good a time as ever to tell him how she felt about the whole situation.

"I just don't get why you're trying so hard with Amy. No offense Nick, but she doesn't like you that way." She said, trying to keep her voice soft. Nick scoffed at her, looking a little hurt.

"Well forgive a man for trying Jessica," he said through gritted teeth, letting go of her arm. He wrapped his hands around his shoulders, hugging himself.

"You're not compatible Nick! You're completely different people!"

"Sometimes that works!"

"Nicholas, she's staying here for just a _weekend_. Why do you always do this?"

"Do what? What do I do Jess?!"

"This, this _thing_ you do. Changing yourself to impress girls."

Nick scoffed again, louder this time. "I do not-"

Jess cut him off, her voice raising a few octaves. "You do! I totally heard you talking about the state of the rainforest to her on the way over. You don't even recycle!"

"Everyone knows they just throw it all together when they take the trash-"

"Oh my God, they don't! I mean for God's sake, _everyone_ recycles these days! _Why don't you recycle Nick?!_" she was shouting now, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks, that familiar pull in her belly. Nick was flailing his arms in her face as he took a step closer.

"Sorry _Ma_," he snapped, "sorry that I'm not adhering to some…some government conspiracy to get us all to recycle our damn milk cartons-"

"What? What are you even talking about?!"

"What are YOU talking about Jess?!"

"I don't know any more! You make me so freaking _angry_ Nick!"

"Yeah? Well likewise. And I can hit on your sister if I damn well want to so just _back off_, will ya?!"

Silence descended upon the corridor as the pair breathed the same air, the heat in their matching glares enough to start a forest fire. Jess gathered herself, pulling back from him, flushing. Her blood was pounding in her ears. She took a deep breath as he continued to stare her down, trying to resist that satisfied feeling she always got when they argued like this.

Nick blinked, breaking the connection. "Night Jess." He said gruffly, turning on his heel and wrenching his door open, slamming it behind him. Jess stood in the corridor, hands balled into fists, crushing her minion toy. _Stupid, stupid Nick Miller_, she thought.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sooo I went on a sudden trip to Scotland and that's why this is super late, and I am genuinely sorry because I'm definitely not established enough round here to be waiting weeks to update! This chapter needed a lot of work too, Captain Crunk gave me some great ideas so he is to thank for this little first scene here. Other than that it was just my fault for not updating. Won't happen again and I hope you enjoy reading this :)**

Winston was watching bad daytime TV when Amy emerged from Jess' room wearing a tight white playsuit and oversized fluffy slipper boots. Her hair was pulled to one side and a large daisy was tucked behind her ear. She hummed to herself as she effortlessly pulled herself up on to the counter, kneeling on the marble top and stretching up to the herbal tea on the top shelf. Winston had seen Nick move it there last night after they had overheard shouting from the loft. He guessed it was another one of Nick's attempts to seriously get under Jess' skin.

He felt his eyebrows raise as he glanced over to see her pulling the packet down, her outfit bunched around her hips, leaving little to the imagination.

"Girl if that outfit was any smaller it would be wearing you," Winston said, watching as she turned to him innocently, hopping off the counter.

"Do you like what you see?" she asked with a glint in her eye, giving him a twirl but stumbling a little as the slippers slid out from under her. He felt that familiar stiffening in his throat as she tucked a piece of hair behind her flower and blushed, opting to keep his mouth shut for fear of what would come out. Amy pouted.

"Well?" she asked again. "Cat got your tongue?"

"Nah, nah. Cat's got my…ah…girl, you-" He sighed, gathering himself to try again. A huge grin was growing on Amy's face as she continued to bask in his obvious discomfort. "Ain't nobody got my – you know it, I just…I'll tell you what the cat's got, girl right after you…yeah."

Amy's mouth was slightly agape in a delighted expression as a deafening silence filled the space between them. Winston winced and bowed his head, accepting defeat in the face of the sexually attractive woman in front of him. He was starting to see less and less of Jess in Amy, and noticing the quirks that made her unique and different from her sister – the way she dressed, her love of soccer, her obsession with Betty White. There was still that stubbornness that was present in the two of them though, even if Winston only ever saw it in Jess when Nick was in the vicinity.

She had sauntered over, chewing the inside of her cheek and reading the label on the tea. "Do you like tea Winston?" she asked, turning the packet over in her hands. His gaze was fixed firmly on the television set in front of him. He shook his head.

"I can't stand the stuff, especially not that girly stuff you and Jess survive on," he replied, not looking at her. "What is it this time, berry fusion? Peppermint pick-me-up? Lavender-"

He stopped and froze as she tipped the packet of tea up and over his head. Teabags cascaded down on to him, making little pitter-patter sounds as they rained down on his head and shoulders. As the last few plopped on to him and rolled down his chest he turned slowly in his seat to face Amy, battling the oncoming fury as he registered her wide eyes, hand still clutching the packet above his head.

"What is _wrong_ with you?!" he hissed, standing up and shaking the debris off himself like a wet dog. "What is your obsession with throwing various drink items at my face? Have you even been abroad or have they just let you out of the crazy house?!"

Amy looked as shocked as he was about what had just happened. "Gee I don't know why I did that, I guess I just…couldn't think of anything else to wind you up…"

"Wind me up? WHY would you want to deliberately wind me UP?" Winston half yelled, lacing his fingers together behind his head and looking around in desperation. "Are you under medication?"

Amy's eyes narrowed then. "Hey, that's rude Winston. I'm not under medication. Well, I mean, I have asthma, I suppose that counts, but I mean it flares up sometimes so it's not like a constant-"

"Shut up!" Winston cut in, hearing the high pitch in his voice as he put his hands on the back of the couch, leaning forward to look Amy in the eye. "What do you so desperately want my attention for?" She had her hands on her hips and her mouth was stretched into a thin line as they observed each other. Amy blew her bangs out of her eyes with a huff.

"I just want to know if you like me or not!" she said, and then clapped a hand over her mouth. Winston pulled his head back, surprised. "What?" he said.

Amy groaned and covered her face with her arms. "Nooo. I meant – what I _meant_ was…" She pulled her arms away, fanning herself. "Just, like… do you want to get all up on this? Because it kind of feels like you do sometimes, but then sometimes I'm not sure and then I think maybe it's just me that really wants you to want to-" she stopped herself as Winston collapsed back on to the couch, pressing his fingers into his eyes. He was silent. She approached him cautiously. "Winston?"

"Amy, I can't, I'm sorry," he said quietly as she lowered herself on to the coffee table opposite him. He looked at her and chuckled. "Haven't you realised how much my buddy Nick is into you?"

Amy looked lost for a moment, like she was trying to place who he was talking about. Then recognition flooded her features and she laughed, waving her hand like she was swatting a fly. "Oh _him_."

Winston opened his mouth to defend his oldest friend, taking offense at Amy's complete lack of compassion for Nick. Then she caught his eye and he forgot what he was going to say.

She smiled. "I'm not stupid Winnie. Didn't you hear the way him and Jess were shouting at each other last night? Like an old married couple. You could cut the sexual tension with a knife."

Winston felt like Amy was treading dangerous water, bringing up the one thing nobody talked about in this loft. An image of Nick holding the No Nail Oath over a lit match and laughing maniacally flashed before his eyes. He shook his head quickly as Amy came back into focus. "I mean, am I right? Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me they're not mad for each other."

She was looking at him, head tilted to one side, fist under her chin. He let out a long breath through his nose before answering her. There was no point lying.

"Nick's always been crazy about Jess, for as long as I can remember since she moved in," Winston sighed, resting his elbows on his knees and leaning forward towards Amy. "I think he kind of accepted it as a one way thing and pushed it real far down, but it's still there."

Amy hummed into her fist, mimicking Winston's position and leaning forward on her crossed legs. "If only he knew that I talked to Jess last night after you all went to bed, and she practically nearly suffocated me with the pillow when I asked about him. She seems really sad that he told her to back off or something."

In the corridor, Nick paused outside of his room, his heart rate picking up as he realised this was probably a conversation he should be eavesdropping on. He leaned his head back against the wall, ears pricked, feeling a little bit of guilt wash over him after hearing about Jess' reaction to his outburst.

"I'm just another version of my sister, and I know everything about her," Amy continued seriously. "When I say that she is head over heels for that man, I know what I'm talking about."

Winston nodded, unsure of how he felt about the situation now it was out in the open. He had been quietly aware of the growing tension between the two and he wouldn't say he approved, but he knew that his roommate's twin sister had just come on to him and he was way too happy about it. Maybe he could try to open his mind a little bit, for Jess' sake. You never know when you might need the favour returned.

"You know the way he's been looking at you these last few days…that doe eyed ogling thing he does?" Winston asked as Amy giggled and nodded. "That's the way he looks at Jess. Like, all the time."

Amy sighed happily, her eyes twinkling. "That's just the best."

Winston wrinkled his nose. "Whatever you say." This level of girl talk was getting out of his comfort zone. He shifted and leaned back. "Anyway, weren't you making tea?"

"Oh yeah!" Amy sprang up happily. "I'll make one for Jess too, she's got her class in half an hour."

Nick realised he was holding his breath and let it out suddenly, turning and heading quickly for the bathroom, feeling a headache approaching.

_What did he just overhear?_

* * *

"Hey Winston, where did- Oh," Nick exclaimed as Jess came flying out of her room as he was passing it, shrugging on a cardigan and brushing her teeth simultaneously, effectively blinded by her bangs. She stopped short with her nose to his chest and looked up at him, her motions halted as her eyes darted over his face wildly. Momentarily she forgot her mouthful of toothpaste as she opened her mouth to say something to break the tension that still resided after their heated moment the night before.

She made a small sound that was supposed to be a 'good morning, Nicholas' but instead came out as a questionable gargle, a little bit of white foam escaping her mouth and landing on the floor between them with a barely audible _splat._ Nick looked down at it and then back to her face, stunned into silence.

Mortified, Jess turned on her heel, clutching her hand to her mouth as she made a beeline for the bathroom. _Seriously Jess, how do you not have a boyfriend_, she thought to herself as she spat into the sink and buried her face in her towel, willing the heat to leave her face as she remembered her conversation with Amy the night before.

Nick shrugged and headed for the lounge, where Winston was sat in his boxers, flicking through channels. He grunted in greeting as Nick lowered himself on to the other couch, lacing his fingers together behind his head. He was aware of the tinkling sound of Amy making tea in the kitchen but blocked it out as he attempted to focus on the chat show in front of him. A cold shower had done nothing to ease the cloud of confusion surrounding him right now.

They sat in silence for a few minutes watching bad daytime TV before Jess appeared, bag thrown over one shoulder. She grabbed a banana and her tea from Amy's hands, shooting her a quick thanks before rushing to the front door, pausing to turn and say goodbye to her roommates.

"Sooo, I'm off to work," she said, eyes firmly on the floor as the guys glanced over to her. "I'm teaching the class how to write compound and complex sentences, you know, independent clauses, compound subjects, that kind of thing. Then I think I'm gonna go to the little bistro around the corner for a late lunch," she inwardly cringed at herself. _Jessica Day, shut your mouth and leave for crying out loud, what is wrong with you?!_

"Didn't need the life story Jess." Nick said gruffly, turning his attention back to the TV. Jess opened and closed her mouth a few times, before silently nodding to herself and slipping out of the apartment.

Winston was regarding Nick with an intense look that made him squirm. Amy was sipping her tea with loud slurps behind him and he could practically feel her eyes boring into the back of his head as she padded across the loft and made a point of opening and closing Jess' bedroom door behind her with a flourish.

"What, man?" Nick finally said, glaring at his childhood friend.

"I've decided I'm hosting an intervention." Winston said, an edge to his voice that made Nick sit up a little straighter. "A Jess intervention."

Nick let out a breath, eyeing his friend warily. "Yeah?"

Winston nodded. "Why do you like Amy, Nick? Give me a few reasons, off the top of your head."

"Uh," he thought about it. Why _did_ he like Amy so much? There was the obvious physical attraction, that was for sure the main thing. But he had been thinking about it in the shower and it was pretty weird for him to find Jess' twin hot, because that meant he found Jess hot, and he didn't like thinking about it that way. Even though it was true. He did find Jess hot. She was so small and her clothes were so small. Especially her shorts, and- what was the question again? Oh right, Amy.

If he was honest with himself he knew why he liked Amy, it had just taken him half an hour of furiously scrubbing shampoo into his scalp to finally realise that he liked her for all the traits she had that made her similar to Jess. The quirkiness, the bangs, the positivity. Her complete lack of judgement about his choices in life had reminded him of when Jess had first moved in and had acted exactly the same.

He liked Amy because she _was_ Jess. She was the version of Jess that he was allowed to have a crush on, the one who didn't live with him and could potentially reciprocate his feelings. He had been hitting on her as some sort of release for his own pent up frustration about how he felt toward the girl across the hall.

Winston had a triumphant look on his face when Nick finally met his eyes. One that said _you nailed it brother_ but was also kind of relieved that Nick appeared to have figured it out and they didn't have to have the uncomfortable 'feelings' conversation. Nick scoffed and waved him away, also feeling weird with the level of telepathy they had going on. It was time to get a beer and talk about cars and maybe spit a little. Get this thing back to normal.

Winston slapped his knees as a final gesture to end the conversation, knowing that Nick needed to do the rest on his own. He left for the fridge, intent on a cold beer and his own messed up thought process regarding a certain blonde down the hall.

* * *

Jess sipped her tea as the rain lashed against the window beside her. She had walked from her class to the bistro, needing the fresh air to clear her head. Now it was a decision she regretted as she looked out at all the people hunched over, coats over their heads as they ran for cover under the torrent of water. Checking her phone, she saw that it was a little after four – she needed to get back to the loft soon. She wasn't looking forward to the walk back to her car as she pursed her lips and paid the check, pulling her flimsy yellow cardigan tight around herself as she stepped up to the doorway, steeling herself for the onslaught.

Her stomach did a little flip as she looked through the foggy glass and spotted a figure across the road, one hand gripping a large black umbrella. It was undoubtedly Nick, she could tell by his awful posture. She was instantly reminded of last night's conversation.

"_I know you, Jess. I am you. You totally love him."_

_Jess stared at her, mouth hanging open. How could her own twin sister have it so wrong? "I do not love him," she snapped, sitting up in bed and mirroring Amy's position. "I don't even like him. He drives me insane, always sighing at me and doing his stupid turtle face."_

_Amy had her head tilted to one side, regarding Jess. At her admission her eyes lit up, face breaking into a huge grin. "Oh my God, you _love _him."_

"_Did you not just hear what I said?"_

_She watched as Amy bit the inside of her cheek to stop herself from laughing. "Ok," was all she said, twirling a piece of hair around her fingers. Then, after a beat, "he's pretty hot though. If you don't want him, I'd be happy to-"_

"_No." Jess' eyes flashed as she shot her sister a look. Amy raised an eyebrow, halting her actions as Jess shifted uncomfortably. "I mean… that's not what I…"_

"_I think that's what you said. You said you're not interested." Amy said, moving to lie back down again. "A guy like that isn't gonna stay single for long Jess, unless someone takes their head out of their ass and decides to take him off the market."_

Jess was still staring out of the misty window as Nick crossed the street. They had come here a few times since she had started her new job, Nick meeting her at the doorway with that killer smile, placing a hand on her lower back as she entered the little place. She had never noticed back then, but she shivered now at the thought of it.

She shook herself, reminded of the fact that they were still not talking and he had made his intentions with Amy very clear. Pushing the door open, hearing the friendly jingle of bells, she stepped down on to the sidewalk as Nick reached her, holding the umbrella over them both.

He smiled sheepishly. "Hey Jess," he drawled, shoving his other hand into his pocket. She felt the hairs on the back of her neck prickle. "Hey." She replied shortly, scrunching her lips together.

"So I bought an umbrella. I feel pretty grown up right now."

He got nothing from her. Sighing, he lowered his head.

"Sorry about what I said last night. Can we forget about it? I feel like a dick. I…" he cleared his throat. "I wanna be friends again. If you'll have me."

Her icy resolve melted pretty quickly upon seeing the nervousness in his face as he shifted his weight from one foot to another, not meeting her gaze. She let a small smile play out over her features.

"Were you gonna walk me to my car?" she asked. He nodded, relaxing a little when he noticed her change in demeanor.

"Er, yeah. I figured you'd be caught out here, so…" he waved a hand in the direction she had come from. She laughed, and he joined in. "Jessica, don't make me beg. Please let me walk you to your car, as an apology."

She beamed at him. "Well what are you waiting for sailor? Don't leave a dame out here to freeze," she replied in one of her voices. He grinned, holding out the crook of his elbow for her to take.

"Your carriage awaits! Here, let me throw my cloak down over this puddle here. A lady should never have to walk in this. Peasants drink from this water."

Jess laughed, smacking his arm as he tried to take his jacket off. They continued the charade loudly down the street, enjoying their mended friendship.

Jess detangled herself from Nick's arm as they reached her car, missing the warmth immediately as she fumbled for her keys. Her hand went to the door handle and she pulled it open, eager to get inside. It opened a few inches before Nick's hand shot out, slamming it shut again. She cast her eyes up to him curiously as he leaned against the door, facing her. He was blurred around the edges, a result of her lingering tears of mirth. She reached up to wipe the remnants away, and as they smiled at each other she felt actual _butterflies_ flare in her stomach, the embarrassing kind that shocked her and made her blush a little. Amy was so right. She was always so goddamn _right_.

Then Nick dipped his head towards her and with barely any time to register what was happening she took a sharp intake of breath as he captured her mouth with his own.

She shivered, responding immediately, like she'd never been kissed before. She leaned into him, making a little noise in the back of her throat. _God_, she wanted this. It was agonisingly slow and sweet, and she dropped her keys, letting her hands slide up his jacket and around his neck. That seemed to flip some kind of switch in Nick, and he let out a barely discernible groan as he pushed her into the car door, pressing his body against hers as she buried her hands in his damp hair. Their tongues met and all the breath seemed to be knocked out of her as his hand went to her face, his fingers caressing the soft skin at the nape of her neck and his thumb roughly running across her jawline. She dug her fingernails into his scalp, feeling goosebumps prickle down her back and arms.

He broke away, exhaling audibly and pulling back to look at her, a little dazed. At some point he had dropped the umbrella and Jess realised they were both really wet. They were soaked through, in fact. When did that happen?

"Jess, about everything with Amy, I'm so sorry," he breathed, little droplets of rain running down the sides of his face. "I'm so stup-"

He didn't get to finish because Jess had not been listening at all, and was instead focusing on how ridiculously hot Nick looked all wet with his shirt sticking to him, and _oh lord he just kissed me in the rain, I might as well be Audrey Hepburn right now and how does he know I love that film? Focus Jess, what is he saying? Screw this, I want more of his mouth_.

She launched herself at him, nearly knocking them both to the ground as she kissed him fiercely. He was more than happy to respond, wrapping his arms tightly around her shoulders, her waist, everywhere he could get his hands on. _This is much better than talking, why did we ever waste any time talking_, she thought. He laughed into her mouth and she stopped, looking up with a delighted and slightly stupefied expression on her face.

"What?" she asked, letting her hands rest on his shoulders. He looked down pointedly at them.

"Jess, you're resting all your weight on me."

"Oh!" She jumped away from him, mortified. "Sorry. I really thought I was Audrey Hepburn for a second."

He turtlefaced at her, confused. "Erm, okay. Whatever you say."

They stared at each other for a moment, insecurities starting to cloud the air. Jess picked her keys up, trying to control the shake in her hands. "Do you want to-"

"Yeah, we should-"

"Yep."

"My car's over there. I guess I'll, er-"

"Nick, we could um…I have _Forrest Gump_. We could watch it when we get back. In your room. If you wanted." She said quietly, catching his wrist with her fingers before he could turn away. She felt his pulse quicken under her thumb as he looked at her, eyes sparkling. Her heart swelled.

He chuckled, turning his palm over and catching her hand lightly. They had a lot to talk about.

"Sounds like a plan."


	5. Chapter 5

**So this is the final chapter. I've had a blast writing this and now have the confidence to continue to post stories so thank you kind people of FF! Hope you have enjoyed. :)**

"Shh! You'll wake her up."

"I don't care."

"I do! She's probably still jetlagged-"

"Then just shut up and kiss me woman, before I drag you back out here."

Amy cracked one eye open. Her twin sister was stood with her back to her in the doorway in her pink robe, hair wild. Amy resisted the urge to smirk as she saw Nick lean over the threshold and grab her round the waist, kissing her neck and making her giggle quietly as she tried unsuccessfully to push him away.

"I'll see you later Miller," Jess whispered softly as she took his chin in her hand, pulling his face towards her and giving him a gentle kiss. He smiled against her lips after they broke apart before kissing her nose quickly and turning away, out of sight. Amy quickly shut her eyes again as her sister shut the door quietly and crossed the room to her bed, climbing in beside her. Jess exhaled the happiest sigh Amy had ever heard, and she could practically feel the hum of excitement coming off her.

"I see you were just gonna leave the robe on and hope I didn't notice it," Amy mumbled into the pillow, making Jess jump next to her. She opened her eyes to see her sister staring wide-eyed down at her like a deer caught in the headlights. There was a moment of silence as Amy broke out into the most ridiculously smug grin she had ever mustered up in her life. Jess shook herself out of her reverie and playfully smacked her in the arm.

"Ow." Amy laughed. "Busted."

"Whatever do you mean?" Jess asked, smoothing down the covers in front of her. Amy cast her an _are you serious?_ Look.

"Maybe you should be doing that to your hair, then you would look a little bit less like you just re-enacted _Fifty Shades of Jessica Day_ last night. Someone got _laaaid_." Amy finished her sentence with a little shoulder wiggle and a head nod, emphasising the last word. Jess wordlessly lifted her hands to her hair, going a little pale when she felt the mass of knots there.

"Well," she sighed. "That's humiliating."

Amy swelled with pride and amusement. "So you guys are a thing now."

"I don't know. We're still figuring everything out, but I like him. I really, really like him Amy."

Amy propped her head up on her elbow. She could see Jess going through a range of emotions as she worried her lip with her teeth. "Hey," she said, reaching for her sister's hand and lightly squeezing it. "He's lucky he got you and he knows it."

They shared matching grins before Amy threw the covers back and hopped out of bed. "So, breakfast? Or did Nick give you enough of that already?"

* * *

"Whaddup JayDay, AyDay," Schmidt greeted the girls as they emerged, jogging on the spot and pouring his smoothie into a plastic bottle with a flourish. Amy looked to Jess as they approached the kitchen counter, bewildered. "AyDay? That's not a thing right?"

"Schmidt being a douchebag? Yes it is totally a thing. Jar Schmidt," Jess retorted, pointing behind her. Schmidt merely grinned, continuing his light jog to the lounge. "Nuh, uh," Jess carried on as he stuffed a ten into the jar, "twenty."

Schmidt looked up at her, offended. "Why?"

"Dude, your shorts man," Amy giggled from behind a fresh mug of coffee. "they are _tight_."

Schmidt beamed at them. "Aren't they? My player down at ESPN Sportswear fixed me up with these bad boys – chamois pad, Luxury Lycra, only the best for this dawg." He was doing his gangster impression again. Amy raised her eyebrows at Schmidt's confused logic - gangsters didn't wear Lycra. Once again, not a thing.

"I meant-" she paused and then sighed. "…Not worth it actually."

Schmidt made his way back over to the kitchen, some of his swagger still present. "So, Amelia-"

"Not my name-"

"-Are we still on for our gym date? I am ready to pump. Some. Iron." He accompanied each word with a deep lunge. Jess covered her eyes in horror, trying to unsee.

Amy slapped her forehead, annoyed with herself. With her busy schedule and the booking of her flight to Portland later today she had completely forgotten that she had promised to attend Schmidt's spinning class with him. Cursing, she gulped down the last of her coffee and shot off towards Jess' room, shouting brief apologies over her shoulder. She could hear Schmidt muttering to himself about women and tardiness as she stuck her head back round the side of Jess' door. "Uh, sis, I need to borrow some gym clothes."

Schmidt checked his watch dramatically as Jess brushed past him. "You have five minutes or I'm leaving without you. Do you think Batman waits around for Robin?"

Jess tossed him an incredulous look before she shut her bedroom door behind them.

Now Amy felt ridiculous, cycling away in Jess' 'sportswear', as she had called it while handing over what could have easily been a pair of pyjamas. They probably were, knowing Jess.

"So," she panted as she tore her eyes away from the Hello Kitty tee and frilled shorts she was currently sporting as they kept up with the extremely peppy woman at the front of the room. "What's it like living with Jess?"

Schmidt took a swig of his smoothie, his face the picture of concentration. Amy had only known him a little longer than a weekend but she was pretty sure he was under the impression that he was secretly the star of his own reality TV show. "It's a little weird sometimes, but the abundance of accidental sideboob sightings have been just delightful." He turned to shoot her a dazzling grin. Amy twisted her face into a grimace, reaching for her water.

"Seriously though," he continued, his smile turning a little more genuine, "Jess is awesome. We'd all probably still be depressed, unemployed and…" he stopped to think of an adjective to describe himself, glancing upward, "…without the lovely Cecelia, if she hadn't answered our Craigslist ad."

Amy chuckled through her swig of water, wiping some sweat from her brow. "Cece huh? Didn't see that one coming."

"Did you see any of this coming Amy?" he laughed, a little breathless as he refused to let up on his pace, even for the sake of conversation. She shrugged and swallowed another gulp.

"I guess not. But I'm glad it did." She grinned at him. "She has you guys now." Schmidt gave her a thumbs up without looking at her, before letting out a squeal.

"_Eeyah!_ Cramp!" he doubled over, clutching his calf as Amy rolled her eyes, ignoring his whimpers. Schmidt really wasn't that bad, she thought. Even if he did then proceed to lay a towel down over the car passenger seat before they drove home.

They returned sweaty and exhausted to the loft, Amy collapsing face down on the couch. Schmidt had jumped in the shower first to avoid being late for work. When he was done he passed Amy's place on the couch, jabbing his thumb behind him to signal that the bathroom was clear. She nodded and hauled herself up with a sigh of protest, dragging her feet down the hall. She paused briefly in the doorway when she saw Winston already brushing his teeth in there. He caught sight of her in the mirror and she felt her face heat up. _Ugh, trust him to see me a gross mess like this._

She nervously took a step into the bathroom, grabbing the towel Jess had hung up for her and placing it on the hook behind the shower curtain, before turning the knob. Water gushed out and she leaned instinctively towards the spray, desperate to clean off. Stepping behind the curtain and starting to undress, she tried to fill the awkward silence.

"Got any plans for today Winnie?" she asked nonchalantly, reaching around the curtain and dropping her shirt on the floor. She heard Winston choke and start to cough, and blushed furiously as she realised her mistake. She was so used to throwing her clothes anywhere. The thought of Winston having a fit as a result of her awkward strip tease was quite amusing though. She stifled a laugh with her fist, continuing to take her clothes off and dropping them in his view.

"Uh, I was just…I was gonna do, um…go for a walk."

"Really? Jess told me you were meeting some fancy radio man for brunch."

There was a pause, then "yeah. That's what I'm doing." She could hear the scoff in his voice and imagined him shrugging in the mirror to himself. "That's what I meant. I'm walking…to the brunch."

She stepped under the spray of water, enjoying herself. "Oh right. Glad we cleared that up."

There was a long silence permeated only by the rush of water and the faint sounds of toothbrush against teeth. _Surely his teeth are clean by now_, she thought to herself, grinning.

"Hey, Amy, listen. I meant what I said yesterday."

Her hands halted as she was lathering up shampoo. "What did you say yesterday?"

"I can't-" he gave a small cough and she heard him spit. "I can't do this. With you."

Forgetting her foamy hair piled atop her head, she stuck her face through the curtain. "What?"

He looked at her, taken aback. "Well, you're going back home today and then who knows where. You're too adventurous for me Amy. Don't get me wrong, I'm…so attracted to you," he said the last part with a slow smile. She returned it shyly. "But let's be honest…this isn't going anywhere. I don't want to get into something that isn't gonna last."

Amy's heart sank and she tore her eyes from his. She was so looking forward to seeing where this might lead. Winston was the first guy she'd met who appeared to genuinely care about her, and she knew it wasn't about her looks or her adventurous streak – he'd just admitted to that being the cause for his hesitation. She didn't just want to jump into bed with him like her usual tendencies either, she wanted to sit and talk for hours like that night on the roof. She actually wanted to get to _know_ him. And here he was, telling her he wasn't ready for it.

He was still watching her, looking a little torn himself. She wanted to slap him over the back of his head and shout "_fight for me! Tell me you want me to stay! I know this isn't what you want, I'll stay here and we can see where it goes!_" She wanted what Jess had, someone to fight with her and yell at her and be her best friend and her underpants captain and her confidant. She wanted him to sweep her off her feet and make her feel like she was more important than doing the right thing, because she was _all_ he wanted. She had always led with her heart, not her head, and she was beginning to realise that maybe she and Winston weren't all the same in that department.

Suds were beginning to slide dangerously close to her eyes and she wiped a hand over her forehead, trying to think of something to say. What do you say to that?

"I thought, maybe, we had something going on," she tried to say. He dipped his head forward, straining to hear her timid voice over the stream of water. He looked slightly pained as his brain worked to find an answer for her. She didn't want to sound desperate, but she needed more explanation than what he'd given so far.

He scratched his chin. "I have a job here, I'm not about to up and leave. And you'd be unhappy holed up in LA when all you ever talk about is how much you want to get out there again and see the world," he replied softly. "It's a difficult situation, but what is there to do?"

She contemplated his words, chewing the inside of her cheek. She could see his point. What did she expect? This wasn't the movies, and even if it were it was pretty clear to Amy that Jess was the lead in this romcom, getting the guy and the kiss in the rain. She was a supporting character, meant to ooh and ahh happily at her sister's new found love but expect nothing for herself. She was just the girl who flitted about, unable to have what she _really _wanted because she wanted too much to begin with.

It was true – he did make her feel a little fluttery and she really thought there was potential there, but the idea of the two of them dropping everything for each other, it was absurd. She was going away to be an overseas journalist. She barely knew him. She wasn't willing to sacrifice that for him, was she? Of course not, this was her _lifelong_ dream she was considering abandoning. For the possibility that something might develop between her and her sister's roommate? She almost laughed to herself. Usually this was exactly the type of thing she _would_ do – no thinking about the consequences, just going for it. She found herself torn between Winston and her passion for travelling. Between what she wanted right now and what she had always wanted. She couldn't have both. The glimmer in his eyes as he stared her down said that he was giving her an ultimatum, and it was time for her to decide.

She nodded. "I get it. I suppose now you mention it… I feel the same way."

She wasn't willing to sacrifice and neither was he. Bitterly, she thought of how different things could have been if their similarities and differences weren't so goddamned polar. It was like trying to push identical magnetic poles together, watching frustratedly as they refused to come together, constantly sliding past each other. Just a few adjustments and they could have snapped together perfectly.

She locked eyes with him and he smiled, almost apologetically. She returned it with a sad smile of her own. _Time to get over it and move on, Amy_. He was expelling a long, shaky breath as he removed the toothbrush from his mouth and transferred his gaze to the sink. She didn't want them to part like this. There was no harm in asking for one last thing.

She took a breath. "Maybe I could get your number, and if I decide to come back we could- AAAHHHH!"

She shrieked, jumping back and twisting the curtain around herself. Winston's eyes bugged out in shock and he cursed loudly, fumbling for the tap again.

"Sorry! I was listening to you and I forgot and the water here, it's not good and you can't use both…you can't…ah, hell no, I'm sorry Amy!"

"So c-cold!" she stuttered, clutching the material to herself, blinking away suds. Winston was frantically spitting and rinsing, before he looked up at her once more.

"I'm really sorry but I want to know what…what were you gonna say?" he almost pleaded, wanting her to ask him again, so that he could say yes, of course she could have it, and please could she come back, even if it was in five years time, and he thought they had something special, and he wished things were different but they weren't and he really wasn't ok with not seeing her ever again. But Amy shut the curtain, desperate to get back under the hot water and rinse the soap out of her eyes. In her blind pain, she had forgotten. The moment passed.

* * *

Her flight was at exactly 5pm, which meant that Jess was at work and couldn't drive her. Winston and Schmidt were both out, leaving Nick, who was on night shifts all week, free.

Amy was dressing when she heard them talking in hushed voices in the corridor. She crept a little closer to the crack in the doorway.

"There's no one else to take her Nick. I don't exactly like the idea either, ever since you sexually harassed her but it's the only way."

"I did not _sexually harass_ her Jessica."

"You're right, that's what you were doing to me last night." Amy silently pinched the bridge of her nose as there was an awkward silence, shaking her head. _Jesus_.

"…Sorry. I think I need to work on my dirty talk."

"Yeah, I think so. Do I have to? It's gonna be the most painful drive ever."

"I'll make you those PBJ cookies you love."

"Done. Absolutely a deal."

Amy sat in the passenger seat on the journey, tracing patterns on the window as Nick gripped the steering wheel, staring blankly ahead. Feeling his stomach clench with discomfort at how loud the silence was becoming, he asked, "radio?" and when Amy looked up, startled out of a daydream and nodding enthusiastically, he reached over and flipped it on. It crackled to life before a familiar song blasted through. The Black Keys. He visibly relaxed, drumming his fingers on the wheel. Finally, a song he actually liked.

Amy had straightened in her seat, letting out a pleased noise. "I love the Black Keys! Can we turn it up?" she looked at him delightedly. He laughed, seeing the picture of Jess in that moment. As he continued to shoot sideways glances at her while she played drums on the dashboard, he wondered how anyone used to be able to tell them apart when they were both brunette. This time however, he wanted nothing more than to hurry up and drop Amy off so he could get back to the dark haired woman who would hopefully be in his bed tonight, getting her flowery smell everywhere. The weight lifted from his stomach and he suddenly felt happy. Delirious, even. Jessica Day was practically his _girlfriend_. He liked the sound of that.

"Of course we can turn it up," he replied, grinning as her blue eyes lit up with glee. He knew there was a reason he didn't want more than one Jess floating about. How was he supposed to say no to either of them? This was a nightmare. They were so gonna use this to their advantage in the future. "What are you waiting for?! Yeeaah!"

They sang loudly and air guitared (air violining in Nick's case) all the way to LAX, and Nick even let Amy keep the station on when Beyonce started playing, watching her lean forward and carry out an extensive and complicated routine to the song. _Women_, he thought, shaking his head.

He drew the line at Sean Kingston, flipping off the radio as they pulled into a space. Hurriedly exiting the car and pulling her bags out of the back, he met her at the driver's side door. She was chewing her lip and squinting in the late sunshine as she took the bags from him. He cleared his throat, resting one hand on the car.

"You got your passport, tickets and all that?" he asked gruffly, not knowing what else to say. She nodded silently up at him, contemplative, before slowly advancing. He internally panicked for a second, and then her arms slid over his shoulders and he realised she was hugging him. _Hugging. Calm down, Casanova._

"It sounds clichéd, but take care of my sister Nick. We have that twin telepathy you know. If you break her heart, I'll feel it."

He relaxed into the hug, feeling a pang in his gut. He was gonna miss having two Jesses around. He'd never admit it to anyone, but he was.

"If anyone's getting their heart broken here, it's me," he chuckled, letting her go. She stood back, a sad expression taking over her face that he didn't quite understand. "You alright?" she looked up at him, snapping her face into neutral. "You look like you went somewhere for a sec there."

She gave her head a little shake, laughing. "Fine. I'm just gonna miss everyone. Especially Jess."

He wanted to comfort her but it wasn't his speciality so he extended his arm and patted her awkwardly on the shoulder instead. She cocked an eyebrow at him, but let it slide. "You'll be ah…you'll be missed too. You're welcome back here any time. Maybe you could come back before you leave the country again," he said, scratching the back of his neck uncomfortably. "And hey. Erm. Thanks, you know, for everything with me and Jess. I don't know what you girls discuss in private, or what you talked about with Winston, but I guess it worked. And I…don't think I could be any happier right now. It was so hard, before. Living with someone like her just across… anyway, it's good now. Everything's good. So thanks."

She beamed at him.

Embarrassed, he shrugged as she reached up to ruffle his hair. "You know, in the future, at family dinners, I'm gonna tell the story of how you tried to relentlessly hit on your girlfriend's sister before you came to your senses."

He smiled at her, knowing it was her intention to panic him, but feeling oddly calm about the whole idea. Dinner with the families, swapping stories, it all seemed…ok with him. Maybe Jess would even be more than just his girlfriend then.

_Woah, slow down Miller. Don't get creepy. We're not there yet._

Amy hoisted the bags over her shoulders with a grunt and turned back to Nick. "Oh, and tell Winston, he can call me anytime." She blushed furiously under Nick's amused gaze.

"Will do," he chuckled, opening his door and resting on it. "See ya, Amy."

She gave a little wave and set off towards the building, calling over her shoulder, "I'm sure you will, Nick. I'm sure you will."

* * *

Two years later, Amy was walking down the dusty dirt road to the local post office in Uganda, where she was currently residing, in a comfy little shack on the outskirts of town. She woke every day to the sound of children playing soccer on the land beside her place, the shouts carrying up through the shutters as she got ready for work.

She had awoken at around nine and showered, leaving her latest man tangled in the sheets, still slumbering as she left for the local post office in the village. The few tendrils that had fallen out of her ponytail were sticking to the back of her neck as she now stood in the small queue for collection. She shifted uncomfortably, tapping her foot.

The kind-faced and graying old man handed over a couple of envelopes when she stepped up to the glass. She smiled gratefully, taking them. "_Weebale_ Joel," she said as she waved and turned away.

"Yowelcome Miss Day!" Joel said in his thick accent, raising his hand after her in return before serving his next customer.

She had rushed back to the house, eager to open her first mail in months. One of the envelopes had the familiar cursive that could only be Jess'. She sat at her desk, ripping it open impatiently and pulling out the delicate piece of paper inside. She was deathly silent as she read it, resting her chin on her fist.

"What's so interesting?" a gruff morning voice sounded from the bed. She heard the rustling of sheets behind her.

"It's from Jess. She's… She and Nick are getting married. Oh my goodness, they're getting married!" she swivelled round in her chair, beaming excitedly. "She's put _Amy Day plus one_. I suppose you could come." She shot a goofy, exaggerated wink at him. "If you must."

Winston laughed, voice cracking, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Her chest constricted. She loved him in the morning. "Thanks, that's so gracious of you. I guess we should book a flight huh?"

"Yep," Amy replied brightly, admiring the invitation again, shaking her head happily. "Mr. and Mrs. Miller…" she pressed the invitation to her chest, her eyes glazing over. "That's so nectar."

**FIN**

**I just want to take this opportunity to say thanks to everyone who took the time to read, review or message me while I was writing this. As my first proper fic it is gonna be important to me so thank you for ****being so encouraging and** making it worthwhile. :) 3 I also want to thank Captain Crunk for his continuous support, advice, ideas and general conversation and for making sure I was giving each chapter my best before I posted it. 3


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